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  Entangled Inheritance

  Children of the Stone – Book One

  J. L. Shelton

  Columbus, Ohio

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters and events in this book are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons living or dead is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Entangled Inheritance: Children of the Stone

  Published by Gatekeeper Press

  2167 Stringtown Rd, Suite 109

  Columbus, OH 43123-2989

  www.GatekeeperPress.com

  Copyright © 2018 by J. L. Shelton

  All rights reserved. Neither this book, nor any parts within it may be sold or reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

  ISBN: 9781642371871

  eISBN: 9781642371888

  Printed in the United States of America

  To Beth, for being my writing buddy all these years.

  To Kat and Deb, for their help and encouragement.

  To Paul, for his love and support.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Epilogue

  Map

  Timeline

  Family Trees

  Chapter 1

  “Why do all roads in Menapolin seem to lead to Crosshawk?” snarled Garin Von Bos after he had barely kept his horse from running into a cart that had stopped without warning.

  Angry curses and grumbles came from every side as people had to move around the new and sudden obstruction. The number of fellow travelers along the route had significantly grown over the course of the past mile. Whether by accident or design, the hum and hurry rarely went beyond a small, and seemingly carved out, radius of commerce surrounding the primary crossroad. On busy days like this one, it turned a quiet ride into an absolute nightmare!

  “The strange duchy or the equally maddening town?” scoffed his best friend, Jacques Regir, in response. The blond-haired man wasn’t any happier about having to wait for a chance to continue on their way.

  Braying from the two donkeys pulling the cart and the frustrated shouts of the animals’ owner almost covered Garin’s mutter, “Considering we’re technically in both, does it really matter?”

  “No,” admitted Jacques as he kept searching for an opening in the throng. “I’m just thankful the late spring rains haven’t come through here recently. Otherwise, this mayhem would have been a lot muddier and smellier.”

  “Small favors,” agreed Garin with a grunt.

  Brushing some black strands out of his face, he turned his head to see if there was a way to get clear of this mess when his sight fell on two gray-haired ladies beginning to walk by. They had been smiling until their eyes met his, the happy expressions immediately turning into scowls. He gave them a weary but respectful nod, while the matrons only responded to his politeness by turning their backs on him and heading into a vastly different direction.

  “The free tenants around here really don’t like you,” said Jacques as the cart ahead began to creak slowly forward once more. “Have you ever figured out why? They usually ignore every other traveler but seem more than willing to give you a glare or two whenever we’re in town.”

  Garin softly patted the heaving flank of his stallion, Blackheart, because the animal had sensed his master’s tension and had let loose a furious snort. “I can come up with many ridiculous reasons for them to hate me, but I’m not sure which is the right answer. We both know that I haven’t done a damn thing to personally deserve their animosity.”

  Thankfully, they could end this infuriating conversation and start moving again. The broken wagon started to make its slow way out of the middle of the road and hobbled for the loud clanging noises coming from the Blacksmith’s shop. If there had been any other choice, Garin would have gladly given this whole damn area a wide berth! However, Crosshawk was the last town where one could fill up on provisions this side of the mountains, making it a likely stop for the fugitive they had been ordered to return to the Arduenna Kingdom in the south. And after following their quarry through fen and fern over the course of three backbreaking months, traveling the well-worn path of the King’s Road had been a welcomed reprieve the past couple of days.

  The two men then aimed their horses towards a large yet homely building that sat on the corner of the westbound and southbound thoroughfares. Columns of smoke flowing from the many chimneys poking out of its black-pitch roof beckoned to them. Scents of meat in the process of being roasted filled the air, causing Garin’s stomach to grumble. A weatherworn sign, showcasing a light gray bird that was dipping its bill into a foaming mug of beer, swayed on a wrought iron pole from the overhang of the large wraparound porch and spoke promise that parched throats would find solace within.

  “The Silver Pheasant at last!” Jacques said with relief, leaning forward and causing his sable gelding to prance a little bit. “Ever since you voiced the suggestion that we head this way, I’ve been dreaming of soaking my weary bones in a keg of their finest brew!”

  Garin couldn’t help but chuckle. His friend always knew the words to pull him out of a foul mood. “I doubt Thaddeus Brewer would ever approve of his famous ale being used in such a manner.”

  Jacques brushed a stray blond hair out of his eyes before grinning. “True; it would be a shame to waste a single drop. But only because they offer hot baths to their guests for a small fee.”

  “Bath, brew, and bed then?”

  “In that order.”

  ***

  “Did I hear you correctly? You’re actually planning to stay for more than one night?”

  Garin sighed at the incredulous tone. He and Jacques had gotten but a few steps through the thick oak door before one of the owner’s sons had stopped them short. Kelby Brewer was an impressive figure, tall and muscular. Even more so when his arms were crossed over a chest the width of a doorframe while he took a stance meant to block their path from both the main tavern and the staircase leading to the rooms above.

  Raising his gaze up to meet the questioner’s eyes, Garin kept his answer firm. “Yes, Kelby,
we are. This time around, at least.”

  “And we have the funds with us to pay a full week in advance,” added Jacques companionably as he removed a small purse from under his cloak. He shook it until the jingling of the coins within could be clearly heard “The required amount could be settled up right now.”

  Kelby broke eye contact with Garin and took a step towards the blond man. Poor Jacques’ wiry frame was nearly half the beast of a man’s size, but there was no need for worry just yet. Kelby merely stuck out a huge hand.

  At least the dark-haired man was forthright with them when he insisted, “I’ll take four gold for two rooms tonight, including an additional two for those baths you both obviously need. The rest would have to be negotiated with my Da. He’ll have the final say on whether or not you can stay longer; this is his inn after all.”

  While Jacques began to carefully count the proper amount into the waiting palm, Garin asked, “Where is your father anyways?”

  There was no need for the man to give an answer. A bellow came from the far side of the nearby room, deep and rumbling: “Mattie! Damn it, girl! Where have you gotten off to?”

  Garin felt a slight chill run down his spine and leaned to the left in hopes to get a better view of the spacious tavern. Two women were furiously running about five dozen tables, wiping down the permanently besmirched surfaces, and completely ignoring the irate owner at the moment. An amazing feat considering that, while all three brothers had gained their father’s basic physique, Thaddeus Brewer surpassed everyone around him in both height and strength. The mountain of a man was in the process of tying back his black hair while standing beside the solid-oak bar, an apron haphazardly draped over its polished surface like a discarded dishrag. The scowl on his bearded face became clearer after he finished containing the wild locks.

  But the boisterous man wasn’t what had attracted Garin’s attention; it was the unusual name he had called. Even as a nickname, “Mattie” wasn’t common in this day and age. In fact, he had only been a child when he last met someone who went by that moniker--and it had been a feisty one-year-old girl from Crosshawk.

  A personality trait of hers that had obviously carried over into womanhood when a throaty, female voice sharply responded, “I was getting the damn mead that you wanted! What in Adonai’s name did you think I was doing?”

  When the woman stormed into sight, cradling a small cask in her arms, Garin suddenly felt all the air leave his lungs as if he had been punched in the gut. Mattie had grown into a beautiful creature with an alluring figure that not even her simple brown dress could hide. Red highlights in her auburn hair shone like fire when beams of sunlight hit the tightly wound braid, and the fluid grace of even her simplest movements caused his heart to skip a beat.

  Then a sharp, painful dizziness hit him right between the eyes as if he had been smacked in the face with a frying pan! He wobbled unsteadily for a moment as visions of him kissing that angry frown off her face floated through his mind. And then even stranger ideas threatened to overpower his reason. He knew that if she up and asked him out of the blue to steal her away, he would do so without question. Even marry her at a moment’s notice, if that was what she desired.

  He took in a shaky breath, wondering how he could smack some common sense back into his brain. Confusion mingled with fear in respects to the strangeness of this moment. No other woman had ever caused him this much consternation at first sight! Yet with every fiber of his being, he knew they belonged together. But considering his background, that would be impossible!

  And how in the hell, if Mattie worked here, hadn’t he ever stumbled across her before now?

  The sharp clap on his shoulder by a heavy hand almost made Garin jump a mile high. Turning his head, he saw Kelby studying him with a furrowed brow. Whether the expression came from anger or concern was tough for Garin to determine. Nor did he have any idea why the man would feel either of those emotions to begin with.

  The guiding push Kelby used to move him closer to the staircase was firm enough that Garin decided not to fight the unspoken demand. “Those two will be at it for awhile yet, and that is why I’m manning the door this afternoon. Preparing for the dinner rush often causes my Da’s temper to rise, scaring customers off. Don’t worry; by the time you two are done washing up, he’ll be back to his old self.”

  “Then we’ll head for our rooms and hide until it’s safe to come out,” joked Jacques, swiftly tilting his head towards the stairs.

  Garin got the point and followed his friend’s advice. He must have climbed the steps and walked down the appropriate hallways, but his whirling mind barely registered Jacques shoving him into a small room. The only thing that returned his focus to the present was the resounding slam of a door.

  “What in the hell happened down there?” demanded Jacques, taking a step back and studying his friend intently. “All of a sudden you were frozen like a deer that had just heard a twig violently snap! Not even Kelby’s threatening growl gained a reaction from you.”

  “I’m not sure what to say,” admitted Garin, shaking his head and sinking down onto the bed. The bag on his shoulder soon thumped to the floor before he began to message the back of his neck. How did one explain the instant and soul-consuming obsession that had overtaken his senses? “Perhaps I’ve been bewitched by the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.”

  “That would be a relief actually, all things considered,” said Jacques with a quiet chuckle. “Who is this sorceress so I can shake her hand and congratulate her on succeeding where so many others have failed?”

  Garin’s eyes narrowed at the sudden change in attitude. Between various family members and his friend, people kept trying to find him a wife. Few ladies, however, were willing to overlook his heritage. And the ones who could live with it were more interested in his family’s wealth than they ever would be in him.

  This truth caused his answer to sound sharp. “You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you.”

  Jacques lifted his hands in a placating manner. “Remember, I’m your friend and have faced some of the worst times of your life by your side. As long as she truly made you happy, I wouldn’t give a damn about her humble beginnings. So which bar maid was the lucky one who attracted your attention?”

  “The woman Thaddeus had been yelling for, Mathilda Hawksthorne.”

  The jovial expression on Jacques’ face disappeared, apparently recognizing the name. “You’re joking.”

  Garin frowned while shaking his head “I’m afraid not.”

  A sound of disbelief left his friend’s lips. “Impossible! You must be mistaken. Because even though the man has been missing for nearly four years, no duke would ever approve of his daughter working in a tavern!”

  Garin didn’t like the doubt in his already fraying sanity, so he issued a challenge. “I’ll wager you ten silvers that I’m right about her identity.”

  “Done,” said Jacques as he eyed Garin one more time before heading towards the door. “Now let’s hope the bath water comes soon so we can wash up for dinner, though I might tell the maid to make yours a little more on the cold side.”

  “Do that, and there will be hell to pay.”

  “Now you sound more like yourself.”

  Grabbing a pillow, Garin made a production of aiming it at the man. “Just get out of here and go to your own room.”

  Without further comment, Jacques snickered, bowed his head, and obeyed. Once alone, Garin let himself fall backwards onto the soft mattress. Frustration came out as a growl because the comfortable surface failed at helping him relax his mind. Fanciful but unrealistic thoughts regarding the auburn-haired woman still ran amuck; the relentless visions making him want to scream!

  After what seemed like forever, his brain finally stopped reeling and only one question remained in his thoughts:

  By all that is Holy and Unholy, what is wrong with me?

&n
bsp; Chapter 2

  Mattie’s foul mood continued to grow when she had to send her eldest cousin, Dierthelm, to hunt down a man who had just snuck out of the tavern without paying for his ale. Her Uncle Thaddeus’ crankiness hadn’t disappeared this evening like it usually did, which wasn’t helping matters. Whatever Kelby had hurriedly told the man earlier had definitely been the foremost reason for his prickly attitude to remain. Then to add to the headache, the inn had filled up so quickly that her youngest cousin, Bran, was currently turning potential lodgers away at the door.

  The only blessing so far was in the fact that Karla and Lena were keeping up with the mad pace. People were beginning to stand along the walls because every available chair had been taken, making Mattie extremely grateful for the maids’ help with serving the enormous throng. Considering she had been moving non-stop since before this madness began, she took a quick moment to catch her breath before even bothering to touch the two foaming mugs sitting on the bar.

  “Mattie, those drinks aren’t going to deliver themselves,” grumbled her uncle as he swiftly filled two more pints. “Though I dare say that it’s nights like this when I wish they could.”

  “Just needed a second with my own thoughts.”

  He banged two freshly teeming mugs onto the top of the bar. “Save that luxury for later, my girl. The masses are demanding tonight, otherwise I would have sent you home by now.”

  His insistence that she leave before the dinner rush only came about two to four times a year, so she couldn’t help but once again ask why he would do such a thing. Thaddeus just shook his head and shooed her away. Swallowing a growl about that particular question still being left unanswered, Mattie plastered a smile on her face, grabbed the drinks, and headed back into the mayhem.

  Once she placed the pints of ale in front of two very grateful and richly dressed men, Mattie turned to check up on her quietest guests. A threesome of female travelers rooming at the Pheasant was an uncommon sight with the boardinghouse just down the road, but not completely unheard of. They were dressed in the layered fashion common to those residing in the northern half of the kingdom, though wearing the wraps about their heads while indoors was a tad bit unusual.